Manny Pacquiao showed once again why he's the biggest attraction in boxing, dominating Shane Mosley on Saturday night to win a one-sided unanimous decision in the biggest fight of the year.Although Mosley came out fighting hard with a good first round, it was all Pacquiao from there on. Pacquiao knocked Mosley down in the third and dominated the fight throughout. Technically Mosley knocked Pacquiao down in the 10th round, but in reality Pacquiao fell when Mosley tripped him, and the referee made a mistake in calling it a knockdown. In reality, Mosley never had Pacquiao in any trouble, at any point in the fight.
All three judges awarded it to Pacquiao by lopsided scores: 119-108, 120-108 and 120-107. According to the pay-per-view broadcast, Pacquiao landed exactly 100 more punches than Mosley did (182 to 82) and threw more than twice as many punches (552 to 260).
Pacquiao acknowledged after the fight that there was some disappointment among his fans that he couldn't knock Mosley out, despite dominating him for 12 rounds. But Pacquiao said his legs were bothering him and that it made it hard for him to push forward and go for the finish.
"I tried my best for a good fight, to make people happy," Pacquiao said. "In the middle rounds my legs got tight. I went to move but it was tight. ... I have to work on my legs because my legs were hurt."
Pacquiao improved his record to 53-3-2, and he is now on a 14-fight winning streak. Widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, the only remaining question for Pacquiao is whether there are any challenges remaining. Every boxing fan wants to see Pacquiao fight Floyd Mayweather Jr., but if that fight doesn't happen, there just aren't many good options for Pacman.
"I don't know yet -- I have to go back to the Philippines to work in Congress," said Pacquiao, an elected official and the biggest star in his homeland. "I've done a lot in boxing and I'm satisfied with what I've done in boxing. I want the fight [with Mayweather] because the fans want it."
The 39-year-old Mosley, who fell to 46-7-1, said afterward that he knew he had been beaten by a better man.
"I thought I did a pretty good job," Mosley said. "I wouldn't blame it on age -- Manny is an exceptional fighter. Good speed and power. Power that I've never gotten hit with before. It's amazing. He's fast. He's strong. He's a fighter. He's a warrior. ... This guy is amazing right here."
Mosley told Pacquiao in the ring afterward, "You're the real pound-for-pound king now."
No one would argue with that: Pacquiao is the best fighter on the planet.